


I still fucking hate Halloween

by DirrtyHaruka



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:08:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26694253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirrtyHaruka/pseuds/DirrtyHaruka
Summary: Violet remembers one of the worst days of her life.
Kudos: 8





	I still fucking hate Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the September Fanfiction Contest over at r/twdgfanfic with the theme autumn and just like the other one, I thought I crosspost it here.

Cold. It was so cold. That was the first thing she remembered from this day. How the chilly wind whistled through the cracks of the mostly not very well maintained trailer. How the door rattled and threatened to unhinge every time the gusts got a little stronger.   
The thin blanket she was wrapped into didn’t do much against the cold autumn nights that turned her home into a giant fridge by morning until later in the day. Despite that, she did try to sleep for a little longer, while her mother was sitting on a little table across from her, drinking her coffee before she had to start another long day. She could smell the pumpkin spice her mother added to her coffee. One of the very few things she allowed herself to enjoy.   
What he allowed her to enjoy. She could hear the heavy footsteps outside, before the door flew open with a loud bang, the floor squeaking under his feet. Her father came home and she knew he wasn’t happy today, without needing him to say anything.

“Robert, could you be a little more careful, please? Violet is still sleeping. I didn’t wake her up yet. It was a cold night.” Violet heard the timid, quiet voice of her mother hesitantly asking.

“Don’t tell me what to do in my own home.” Her father was aggressive instantly. Just like always. She heard her mother get up, walking over and closing the curtain that was installed right were the bed Violet laid in ended. So she couldn’t see her parents anymore if she wanted to. But she still heard them perfectly fine.

“What is it? Doesn’t want me to see my daughter? Or do you want something of this?” Violet could hear the creepy smile in his voice.

“I have to go to work soon. She needs to get up soon enough. Just let her rest for a few more minutes, while I finish my coffee.” Violet heard her walking over to the table again.

“Tough luck. You made me excited, so this wood needs working.” Violet pulled the blanket over her head, fully aware that that won’t help at all. 

“I really…” The voice of her mother cut off with a sound Violet was too familiar with to even react. She didn’t need to see it to know her father shut her mother up real quick.

“On your knees, bitch. I’m not saying that twice.” She heard the floor creaking and then silence for a moment until the faint sounds of silent sobbing and choking emerged. Nothing out of the ordinary, no surprises there for Violet. She got accustomed to those sounds, fully knowing she wasn’t supposed to be. Not ever but especially not at her age.   
She once opened up about all those things to an older kid whose family also lived in the trailer park, just a few trailers over and he told her. That it wasn’t supposed to be this way and a nine-year-old shouldn’t know such things but her mother found out about it. She never told anyone again.   
That was two years ago now and she still felt weird in those situations. But it was what it was, wasn’t it? What was she supposed to do? The things stopped eventually, at least for a while, so why be bothered? Why crying? She cried so often and the only thing it did, was making things worse. She also screamed, threw fits and punches but everything she did hurt either her mother or herself. So she opted out. Living with the weirdness in her chest whenever bad things happened.   
She heard her mother cough and then the floor creaking again.

“If I were you I would cry too, that was a sad-ass blow job, you better make up for it later. Worthless piece of ass you are.” Violet heard the fridge opening and closing, followed by the fizzle of a bottle being opened.

“Sorry.” She barely heard her mother's response.

“You better be sorry. Drive by the liquor store later before you come back to show me how sorry you are.” Violet tried to make out where her father was going now, hoping he would leave, but it seemed like he just sat down.

“Of course. Can I get Violet now? My mother is probably waiting for us.” Violet sat up, waiting for her mother to get her.

“Why are you bringing her to this hag? She’s barely alive anyway. Just leave her with me.” A cold shudder ran down Violet’s spine. The way he said that, made her feel nauseated, which only got worse after she heard a lighter switch on and off again and she could smell the smoke creeping through the trailer.

“I…” Violet could almost feel that pause physically. “…I already scheduled today with her. Maybe next time. Violet was looking forward to it already and you know how much she loves her grandma.” No matter how young she was, the shakiness in her mother's voice was obvious even for her.  
A long silence emerged and then a disgruntled growl.

“Fine. But I watch her tomorrow.” Her father left no doubt that that was what would happen.

“Of course.” The curtain was dragged open and Violet looked at her mother. Her right cheek was red and swollen, just like her eyes were. Her hair was a mess now even though Violet had watched her brushing it just an hour ago.

“Come here, sweetie. We skip changing and bathroom time. You can do that with grandma today, ok?” Violet slowly nodded while crawling out of the bed. When she tried to unwrap out of the blanket, her mother stopped her.

“Keep it. It’s still cold.” Her mother smiled but she could tell that it was forced. She grabbed her by the hand and they walked outside together. Her mother helped her onto the passenger seat of the truck that was parked right beside the trailer, making sure she was strapped in properly. After her mother got in and started the truck nobody said a word anymore. For the whole drive to her grandmother's house, Violet just looked out of the window, silently shivering under her blanket. It wasn’t a long drive. After some minutes of widespread warehouses and huge stores, the scenery changed to nicely build houses with white picket fences as far as the eye could see. Violet recognized that all of them were decorated with scarecrows, orange, and black garlands and jack o’ lanterns. She got excited, she didn’t even know that it was Halloween already. Her grandma always had the best Halloween decorations just for her to enjoy. She almost pressed her nose against the window, when her mother slowed down to pull into the driveway. Violet’s heart sank. No decorations were set up, at least not if the unmaintained front-yard wasn’t one. Her mother stopped the engine, got out of the truck, and walked around to get Violet. Still, no words were spoken. Her mother only spoke again, after they stepped into the house. Her grandmother sat in her rocking chair, watching T.V, barely looking at them.

“Mum? You remember you said you would look after Violet today?” Her head slowly turned to her mother.

“Sure.” Her grandma replied in a weak voice.

“Go sit there, Violet. Maybe Grandma puts on some cartoons for you.” Violet nodded and sat down in front of the T.V. as she was told to, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was not right. 

“Everything ok Mum?” Her mother asked.

“Sure. Tired. Go to work. I’m here.” Violet looked at her mother who narrowed her eyebrows for a second but whatever she was worried about went away as soon as she looked at her watch.

“Ah, Shit…I’m already late. Okay, have fun you two. I’m back at three.” She bent down to give Violet a quick kiss on the head and left hurriedly right after.

###

“That’s when my Grandma put on the cartoons. I don’t know how long I sat there and watched before she got up to get the rifle. For me it was just…I don’t know…another shit thing that happened that day. The bang made me jump a little but…other than that. Shit happened all the time, you know? So she’s dead and gone, she won’t go anywhere. My Mum got always hurt, I got hurt. Nobody called someone. Why was I supposed to? Life was a pain anyway. So I guess my grandma was sick of it. I was, too, kinda. Being gone sounded not as bad as what happened around me every day. So watching my cartoons didn’t seem like…anything that’s fucked up to do. But my mother had a different opinion, I guess.” Violet shrugged, looking at Clementine and forcing a half-smile onto her lips.

“You never told this whole story. I’m…I don’t know what to say.” Her girlfriend replied.

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m glad I got sent here now. That’s how I was able to meet you.” Violet smiled. A genuine smile this time.

“Idiot…” Clementine seemed a bit flustered.

“I still fucking hate Halloween, though.”


End file.
